microenvironment
Americannoun
noun
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The environment of a very small, specific area, distinguished from its immediate surroundings by such factors as the amount of incident light, the degree of moisture, and the range of temperatures. The side of a tree that is shaded from sunlight is a microenvironment that typically supports a somewhat different community of organisms than is found on the side that receives regular light.
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Also called microhabitat
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of microenvironment
First recorded in 1950–55; micro- + environment
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"They may adopt different functions based on certain cues in the microenvironment and in the tissue, and differentiate into a certain kind of sub-population," Sunwoo said.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026
This pattern suggests that NO-Cbl may be retained within tumors and deliver nitric oxide directly to the tumor microenvironment.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 27, 2026
The researchers say that features of the tumor microenvironment, including T-cell exclusion, may help explain why some cancers remain resistant to immune checkpoint inhibitors.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 25, 2026
"The drug creates an immune microenvironment within the tumor, and essentially replaces the tumor with these tertiary lymphoid structures."
From Science Daily ● Mar. 16, 2026
Such a closed nest would have the advantage of greatly moderating the microenvironment within the nest, and would allow the animal within to remain comfortable with a minimum expenditure of energy.
From Comparative Ecology of Pinyon Mice and Deer Mice in Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado by Charles L. Douglas
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